It was hard to find a private space in the bazaar and even harder to hear one another talk. With most of their quarry acquired, they had fallen short of funds. They had to buy five gallons of bleach to go their their water drums and charcoal. Fresh water was becoming a contentious subject back in their home settlement, so they volunteered to get the supplied needed to collect and purify more rainwater. They didn't count on being robbed of half their funds, though.
"This is a bad idea," Kara scowled.
"Do you have a better idea? I'd like to hear it if you do," Brenden crossed his arms and eyed his two companions. "The booth is closed, they're not going to miss a few gold or zinc." He kept his voice low, eyes flitted around the crowd searching for eavesdroppers.
Robert frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I don't like it either, but we can't go back empty handed, Kara."
"We wouldn't! We have the barrels and the charcoal. The settlement should have enough bleach to last until we can get some more money! If we get caught, we lose it all!"
"Then start heading back. We'll miss your strength, but Robert and I can make do."
She grumbled. "I'm not going to leave without you."
Brenden shrugged. "Then keep an eye out. If we can't distract the guards, we abort."
"Promise?" Kara looked down at his intently.
Brenden met her eyes, outwardly calm and collected. Inside, he was a whirling dervish of emotion and worry. He didn't want her to know that he desperately wanted Kara's approval. "Promise."
She inhaled deeply and let the breath go slowly. "Alright. I'll watch the front." She stabbed a finger at Robert. "You watch the back."
Robert rolled his eyes but nodded silently then melted into the crowd.
Kara quirked an eyebrow and looked down at the younger man. They were a disparate pair, Brenden medium height and striking looks and smooth manner, and Kara, a tall powerful brute of a woman who still managed retain beauty despite being physically powerful. She was also wickedly intelligent. "Shall we?"
Brenden nodded and started slipping through the crowd. Kara just shouldered her way through, leaving several disgruntled people in her wake. Brenden grinned to himself. He found the closed stall and stood with his back to it, waiting for Kara to join him. He heard a yelp and a weaselly looking back scurry away holding a limp arm.
"Keep your paws to yourself!" He heard his friend's roar even over the crowd. She stalked up to him and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Little runt. Teach him to cop a feel."
"You sure he just wasn't trying to rob you?"
"The money pouch is safe." She patted her ample chest with one hand, smiling. "I should have put it there to begin with." Her smile dissolved into a frown.
"Don't worry about it. We'll have the bleach money soon enough. Guards?"
Without moving her head, Kara scoped out the general area. "None that I can see. Though I thought I saw one at the corner there when we walked in."
"Okay, I'm going in."
She dropped a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," she said quietly. "Please?" When he nodded, she gave his shoulder a light squeeze before dropping it back to her side.
He flashed her a tight smile and slipped into the darkened tent.
He stood stock still for a few moments, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. He looked around the tent quickly before even moving. Rugs. Lots and lots of rugs. One even looked like moleskin. Once he could see better, he quietly set about searching the place. He checked under the rugs, under tables, checked for pouches everywhere. He found a few coppers laying about, but the huge score came from the low wooden table in the center of the tent.
Brenden found a recessed latch under the table. Pressing it, a wooden thump sounded and a heavy bag dropped to the sand. He was thankful for the crowd noise masking the sound. He peered into the back and grinned. They would go home a lot richer today.
He secured the bag and tucked it into his breeches, hoping to deter pickpockets. He went to the front of the tent and whispered.
"Kara, is the coast clear?"
"No. The guard is back, and he's eyeing me."
"Shit. Okay, bail. I'll head out the back way."
"Be careful, Bren. I don't want to break you out of jail. Again."
"No worries, Kara. I'll be careful. Meet us in back." He crossed the tent quickly and hissed for Robert. He didn't get a response, so he pulled his knife and slit the back of the tent open. It was quieter back here, enough that he was worried about guards hearing him. Carefully, he stuck his head out. Robert was nowhere to be found, but there were no guards either. He slipped outside and quietly walked around to the front of the bazaar. He saw no trace of Robert, but he caught his breath as he heard Kara talking with an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey, I'm just waiting for a friend. No funny business here."
"Girl, I saw you talk to a man who went into that tent. Now, tell me where he is!"
Kara smirked. "He's right behind you."
"Wha~?" The guard sunk to the ground, rendered unconscious by a sharp strike from the hilt of Brenden's knife.
"What took you so long?" Kara asked, grinning.
"Funny. Where's Robert?"
She looked at Brenden. "He wasn't back there?"
He shook his head.
"Shit. We can't stick around, Bren. It won't take long for the guard to be discovered."
"I know. Let's hide him in the rug shop."
"Okay, you do that, I'll buy the bleach." Kara nodded and held out one hand.
Brenden fished a stack of gold from the stolen pouch and handed it to her."
"This is a bad idea," Kara scowled.
"Do you have a better idea? I'd like to hear it if you do," Brenden crossed his arms and eyed his two companions. "The booth is closed, they're not going to miss a few gold or zinc." He kept his voice low, eyes flitted around the crowd searching for eavesdroppers.
Robert frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I don't like it either, but we can't go back empty handed, Kara."
"We wouldn't! We have the barrels and the charcoal. The settlement should have enough bleach to last until we can get some more money! If we get caught, we lose it all!"
"Then start heading back. We'll miss your strength, but Robert and I can make do."
She grumbled. "I'm not going to leave without you."
Brenden shrugged. "Then keep an eye out. If we can't distract the guards, we abort."
"Promise?" Kara looked down at his intently.
Brenden met her eyes, outwardly calm and collected. Inside, he was a whirling dervish of emotion and worry. He didn't want her to know that he desperately wanted Kara's approval. "Promise."
She inhaled deeply and let the breath go slowly. "Alright. I'll watch the front." She stabbed a finger at Robert. "You watch the back."
Robert rolled his eyes but nodded silently then melted into the crowd.
Kara quirked an eyebrow and looked down at the younger man. They were a disparate pair, Brenden medium height and striking looks and smooth manner, and Kara, a tall powerful brute of a woman who still managed retain beauty despite being physically powerful. She was also wickedly intelligent. "Shall we?"
Brenden nodded and started slipping through the crowd. Kara just shouldered her way through, leaving several disgruntled people in her wake. Brenden grinned to himself. He found the closed stall and stood with his back to it, waiting for Kara to join him. He heard a yelp and a weaselly looking back scurry away holding a limp arm.
"Keep your paws to yourself!" He heard his friend's roar even over the crowd. She stalked up to him and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Little runt. Teach him to cop a feel."
"You sure he just wasn't trying to rob you?"
"The money pouch is safe." She patted her ample chest with one hand, smiling. "I should have put it there to begin with." Her smile dissolved into a frown.
"Don't worry about it. We'll have the bleach money soon enough. Guards?"
Without moving her head, Kara scoped out the general area. "None that I can see. Though I thought I saw one at the corner there when we walked in."
"Okay, I'm going in."
She dropped a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," she said quietly. "Please?" When he nodded, she gave his shoulder a light squeeze before dropping it back to her side.
He flashed her a tight smile and slipped into the darkened tent.
He stood stock still for a few moments, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. He looked around the tent quickly before even moving. Rugs. Lots and lots of rugs. One even looked like moleskin. Once he could see better, he quietly set about searching the place. He checked under the rugs, under tables, checked for pouches everywhere. He found a few coppers laying about, but the huge score came from the low wooden table in the center of the tent.
Brenden found a recessed latch under the table. Pressing it, a wooden thump sounded and a heavy bag dropped to the sand. He was thankful for the crowd noise masking the sound. He peered into the back and grinned. They would go home a lot richer today.
He secured the bag and tucked it into his breeches, hoping to deter pickpockets. He went to the front of the tent and whispered.
"Kara, is the coast clear?"
"No. The guard is back, and he's eyeing me."
"Shit. Okay, bail. I'll head out the back way."
"Be careful, Bren. I don't want to break you out of jail. Again."
"No worries, Kara. I'll be careful. Meet us in back." He crossed the tent quickly and hissed for Robert. He didn't get a response, so he pulled his knife and slit the back of the tent open. It was quieter back here, enough that he was worried about guards hearing him. Carefully, he stuck his head out. Robert was nowhere to be found, but there were no guards either. He slipped outside and quietly walked around to the front of the bazaar. He saw no trace of Robert, but he caught his breath as he heard Kara talking with an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey, I'm just waiting for a friend. No funny business here."
"Girl, I saw you talk to a man who went into that tent. Now, tell me where he is!"
Kara smirked. "He's right behind you."
"Wha~?" The guard sunk to the ground, rendered unconscious by a sharp strike from the hilt of Brenden's knife.
"What took you so long?" Kara asked, grinning.
"Funny. Where's Robert?"
She looked at Brenden. "He wasn't back there?"
He shook his head.
"Shit. We can't stick around, Bren. It won't take long for the guard to be discovered."
"I know. Let's hide him in the rug shop."
"Okay, you do that, I'll buy the bleach." Kara nodded and held out one hand.
Brenden fished a stack of gold from the stolen pouch and handed it to her."
"Thanks. Around back? For real this time?"
He laughed. "Okay. Meet you there."